By: Melissa E. Holsman, Treasure Coast Newspapers
STUART — Sailfish Park and its treasured ballfields are here to stay.
That's what city commissioners unanimously decided Monday when they voted 5-0 not to redevelop Sailfish Park.
The decision, which was tabled in November, is welcomed news for devoted baseball players and family members who for months have encouraged city commissioners to keep the city-owned ballfields away from potential developers.
"We're thrilled," Stuart resident Linda Shayne said after the commission vote. "It's a win for the kids."
Shayne and her neighbor Sally Dadko Rose arrived at City Hall toting a large orange sign and a stack of more than 1,000 petitions signed by people who opposed developing the ballfields.
“They do not wish to give up precious, irreplaceable green space in our downtown area,” Rose told commissioners.
Before voting Monday, Commissioner Merritt Matheson said cancelling the sale of Sailfish Park for redevelopment was in the interest of city residents and taxpayers.